Direct link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlcNBveGt74
CTV News video clip of the Ancient Forest Alliance’s win in the Phillips Beer “Benefit Brew” contest. The AFA will receive the sales proceeds from a custom, microbrewed beer called the “Ancient Brown Ale”. Proceeds could be upwards of $10,000 for our organization which is is huge for us – about 1/4 of our annual budget this year!
More good news for our friends at the Ancient Forest Alliance, who just won Phillips Beer’s “Benefit Brew” competition.
The vote — which was decided entirely online by beer fans alike — overwhelmingly declared the AFA winner, with “Ancient Brown Ale” microbrew beer to be released next month into select private liquor stores. Full proceeds (about $10,000) go to the AFA.
“This is huge for us, as we run on a budget of about $40,000 a year,” says AFA’s Ken Wu, who adds he is a beer fan. As for his fav Phillips until now? “I buy the mix-packs, and drink them all,” he says.
Link to the Monday Magazine article: https://www.mondaymag.com/articles/entry/the-week-oct-6
The Ancient Forest Alliance has tapped a keg worth $9,000 after the environmental movement was named the winner of Phillips Brewing Company’s annual benefit brew competition.
The alliance, a two yearold Victoria-based non-profit organization that works to protect old-growth forest in the province, was the clear winner of the competition that over a two-week period had the public vote for their charity of choice online at www.phillipsbeer.com.
“They took an early lead and it was interesting to watch it grow from day to day,” said Phillips owner Matt Phillips. “They were very organized.”
More than 9,100 people voted in the online contest that will see the winner reap all of the proceeds from the sales of a batch of specially brewed beer – in this case Ancient Brown Ale.
Phillips said the contest, now in its third year, has meant a cash boost of anywhere between $7,000 and $9,000 for local charities.
“It all depends on how much beer we can squeeze out of this [batch],” said Phillips. “They are doing great work but I understand they have a really small operating budget so this is very significant help for them which makes it even better for us.”
Last year, the Alliance’s operating budget was $60,000. “We are grateful for the great amount of support we’ve received from the small business community of Victoria and Vancouver Island. Phillips Beer’s Benefit Brew will be a major infusion of support that will help us build a stellar ancient forest campaign this fall,” said Ken Wu, Alliance co-founder.
Phillips started brewing the beer Monday and labels have been sent to the printers. Phillips hopes to see a final product ready by the end of this month and in stores by mid-November.
Like the main character Jake Sully in 2009’s blockbuster movie Avatar, Ken Wu, founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance, feels drawn to protect a primeval wilderness. In Wu’s case, it’s Avatar Grove in Port Renfrew — which is now one step closer to protection.
The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations has drafted a proposal for an amendment that would add 49 hectares in the Avatar Grove area as an old growth management area (OGMA), and an additional 10.4 hectares in nearby Axe Creek, making them both off-limits to logging.
“Certainly it’s an excellent step forward,” said Wu. “(But) we would like to see additional legislation for a provincial conservancy or park which would be more permanent protection.”
OGMAs fall under regulatory protection meaning it could potentially be modified or removed by the government without a vote. Parks and conservancies provide more permanent protection because they are created —and can only be eliminated —through a majority MLA vote, said Wu. Most parks also get designations on highway maps.
“It’s sort of like wearing a bear costume while you forage alongside grizzly bears. You’re never sure how long the protection’s going to last.”
The Ancient Forest Alliance has been pushing for government action since the organization formed in January 2010. Their goal is for B.C. to implement an old growth strategy that will inventory and protect all old growth forests and ensure sustainable second growth forestry. Prior to starting the AFA, Wu was the executive director of the Western Canada Wilderness Community in Victoria.
Wu said the town of Port Renfrew has been instrumental in helping turn Avatar Grove — named after the movie that coincidentally came out the same time the grove was discovered — into “an ancient forest campaign on steroids.” Every day now draws people locally and from all over the world to see the gigantic, gnarled trees.
Rosie Betsworth, president of the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce, confirmed that there has been a “big increase” in their tourism industry.
“I was up there about a month ago, there were probably 25 people or so (visiting),” said Betsworth. “It’s brought a lot of business to Port Renfrew.”
There is, however, one caveat to the proposal.
With the combined 59.4 hectares that would be added to OGMAs, 57.4 hectares of mixed old growth/second growth is also being taken out from higher-elevation “bits and pieces” within Tree Farm License 46 owned by the Teal-Jones Group, said Wu.
“We’re not in favour of any kind of land swap scenario,” he said.
“We’ve already lost 90 per cent of the ancient forest on the southern Island, none of that should get logged. The other 90 per cent is already second growth now, they can log that sustainably and leave the last of the old growth.”
The amendment is now open to public comment. Comments can be emailed to RenfrewOGMA@gov.bc.ca until Nov. 9.
True to its name, in order to play Donate2Play Media’s first new game, Wordraiser, you’re going to have to pony up some change. Wordraiser is an anagram game that has players make as many words as possible out of one word.
If you manage to guess the key word, you get to level up. After leveling up a few times, you’ll be asked to buy “Karma Points” that enable you to play more games.
Donation packages range from $1 to $20 USD, where $1 USD equals 10 Karma Points, which is good for buying one game. But right now, it seems that there’s nothing stopping you from playing as much as you want. We’re not sure if this is a bug, as the game just launched during the previous weekend.
While Wordraiser is supposedly free-to-play, it’s also the offspring of Donate2Play’s partnership with The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA), a Canadian grassroots organization devoted to finding the balance between forestry jobs and preserving British Columbia’s ancient woodlands (defined as tree populations that are over 120 years old). So half of the money given to Wordraiser will be split between AFA and Donate2Play.
Lastly, there’s a top ten high scores leaderboard that displays players’ names followed by their levels, and two of AFA’s founders, TJ Watts and Ken Wu, are currently on the board in ninth and third place, respectively. According to its Facebook page, Wordraiser currently has 202 monthly users.
Keep in mind, though, that Donate2Play is doing all the heavy lifting here, with no risk or prior investment from AFA. Outreach for the game is done via automatic Facebook wall posts. Players will also receive facts about British Columbian forests during load screens and photos of these forests by TJ Watt.
Here we are at the beginning of the famous West Coast Hiking trail; home to some of the best salmon and halibut fishing in British Columbia. A few hours earlier we had arrived at our destination, the Wild Coast Cottages in Port Renfrew. One of our neighbours quipped that these quaint wooden cabins are dubbed by other guests as ‘the Yuppy way of camping.’
Indeed, the fully equipped cabins with wrap-around deck, which are about the size of a hotel suite, are the only way I like to camp!The Wild Coast Cottages, which are located in prime fishing grounds and boasts the only deep water moorage available in Port Renfrew, is our home while we explore this community of 250 year-round residents. Imagine Tofino two decades ago and you might be able to picture Port Renfrew. It retains its rugged, natural beauty with its roaring surf along the Strait of Juan de Fuca … a perfect, and may I say, spectacular landscape for hiking, fishing, strolling the beach and unwinding!
After settling into our cabin, we meet up with our hiking guide TJ Watt, the passionate founder of Ancient Forest Alliance. We head out on a rough, windy road to Avatar Grove, home to ‘Canada’s Gnarliest Tree’. What a treat to stand beside a 150-foot tall cedar tree that dwarfs anyone and everything around it.
After our hike, we head to the eclectic Coastal Kitchen Cafe. It was highly recommended by TJ, locals and many of the other hikers we met along the way. The place was packed and buzzing with activity. The seafood is local, portions huge, and it’s a great spot to people watch. My partner Dennis and I would venture to say our meals were as good as anything we’ve had in Vancouver. We shared a carrot ginger soup and a side of prawns. Afterwards, I went for the salmon dill quesidillas while Dennis chose the halibut.
As darkness approached, we set out for a stroll along the nearby beach, gathering driftwood for an evening fire. Picture this scene: A nice bottle of red wine, a good read, a cozy fire and a sky filled with stars. It doesn’t get much better than this!
The next morning, bright and early Dennis quietly leaves me sleeping soundly while he meets up with Karl Ablack. The evening before, Karl had offered him a golden opportunity to go fishing with him. The only catch? A 5:30 am start.
At 5:30 a.m., the two set out to fish off of what the locals call East Point. The real name is San Juan Point, located off of Hammond Rocks. They troll out to 500 feet of water and drift west across Owen Point and set the down riggers. Across the straight of Juan de Fuca, Dennis tells me he could see the outline of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. Within an hour they hook into two wild coho salmon, which they release. The next two bites were pink salmon that end up on our dinner table that evening. Karl tells Dennis that he often spots whales, sea lions and sea otters while plying the fishing grounds. It’s also not uncommon to spot a black bear or Roosavelt elk around the delta of the San Juan River.
Meanwhile I had met up with Rosie for a hike to Botany Bay. What a treat. We went down a trail constructed by the youth of the Pacheedaht and the T’Souke First Nations. It winds through the rich tidal pools and a shoreline filled with life … a natural jewel in the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park.
I feel in love with the simplicity and solitude of this magnificent place … Port Renfrew is worth the trip.
A Few Facts:
Port Renfrew is located on the southern end of the West Coast Trail, a world famous hiking trail built in 1907 along the West Coast of Vancouver Island to save shipwrecked sailors. During the days of sail, from 1830 to 1925, 137 major shipping tragedies occurred in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the Straits of Juan de Fuca. International recognition was given to the waters off Port Renfrew when it became known as ‘The Graveyard of The Pacific’.
Originally named Port San Juan, the settlers changed the name to honour Lord Renfrew who planned to settle crofters here.
In 2011, Port Renfrew came in 5th place in the World Fishing Network “Ultimate Fishing Town” competition.
Local population:
250 residents. Population expands ten-fold in the summer months with hikers, fishers, and campers.
Amazing natural spots: Avatar Grove, home of the Gnarliest Tree, and Botanical Beach are two of the most famous locations.
Trailhead of both the West Coast Trail and the Juan de Fuca Trail.
More Information:
Wild Coast Cottages: www.wildcoastcottages.com
Coastal Kitchen Cafe: 1-250-647-5545
Ancient Forest Alliance: www.ancientforestalliance.org
Finding a cause you really believe in can be hard, but one Victoria native and one Aussie are making tough activist work look easy.
Jaime Hall and Nigel Jackett are so committed to supporting the Ancient Forest Alliance, they’ve dedicated six months of their lives and $10,000 of personal funds to cycle 7,500 kilometres across Canada to raise awareness for the AFA’s Vancouver Island cause. Last May, the two flew from their home in Australia to start the trip in St. John’s, N.L., and they’re set on raising $10,000 by the time they cycle into Victoria this fall.
Cycling across Canada “has been a dream of mine for a long time, but we just needed to find the right reason to do it,” says Hall, 25, a musician who grew up here. “There are so many issues out west that a lot of the country doesn’t know about, even though it affects us all. This has been a wonderful way to spread that knowledge.”
The two are linking their adventures with the audience through their blog, tilthelasttree.com, and have requested pledges every time they spot a new species of bird. When Monday first talked to the pair, they had spotted 168 species and had raised $1,300 — and they’d only reached New Brunswick. Now, they’ve counted 240 different birds, and have topped $2,140 in Ontario.
“Ken Wu and the Ancient Forest Alliance have put such a lot of work into this really great, passionate organization, and we thought that donating our cause to them was a perfect fit,” says Jackett, 27, a bird biologist from Australia who studied and surveyed for the B.C. government on Vancouver Island.
Ken Wu, founder of the AFA, says the organization is thrilled with the committed support, as well as the way Hall and Jackett are working to raise awareness to issues that can be hidden from the rest of the country. Hall met Wu about five years ago, and the two have conversed on wilderness and eco-awareness matters ever since.
“Their goal is to raise $10,000 for us, which would be huge, as in 2010 we ran the whole organization on just over $50,000,” says Wu. “We’re totally grateful to have as informed and dedicated supporters as Jaime and Nigel helping to raise funds and awareness for our campaign.”
This year, the AFA has been focused on working with the Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group, a First Nations band between Shawnigan Lake and Nanaimo, in their bid to stop large-scale clearcutting of the former TimberWest lands — lands which were sold to two public sector pension funds without consultation of local First Nations. The AFA has also kept up awareness hikes for Avatar Grove, the Port Renfrew forest that largely put the group in public radar, and has been planning a major rally for September.
To make a donation or download Hall’s by-donation songs, visit tilthelasttree.com.
Link to original article: https://www.mondaymag.com/articles/entry/eco-cyclists-on-cross-country-trek/news/
While most cross-Canada cyclists are wrapping up their journeys right about now, the curious duo of a musician and a wildlife biologist find themselves smack in the centre of the country, shivering in an uncharacteristically chilly early September evening.
If simple distance were the aim of Nigel Jackett and Jaime Hall, the 8,000 kilometres they’ve already travelled since April would have already have delivered them to the coast of British Columbia. On a mission to sight as many bird species as possible in their travels as way to raise money and awareness for The Ancient Forest Alliance, they expect to travel 11,000 kilometres before they’re finished.
Jackett, a wildlife biologist from Western Australia and his partner Hall, originally from B.C. are young, fit and passionate advocates of preserving B.C.’s remaining old growth rainforest habitat and advocating for sustainable logging practices in those areas.
“We’re the first people to ever ride across Canada bird-watching,” said Jackett. “Most people are finished in three months or less. We’ve already been going for four months.”
“You have to get into all sorts of habitat in order to get your bird list,” adds Hall.
So far the list consists of 239 species, the most recent of which, a black-billed magpie, was spotted near Wabigoon. They say they hope to reach 400 species before finishing their journey.
“We still can if we get to B.C. before a lot of the birds that summer over there head south in the fall migration,” said Jackett. “Manitoba holds a lot of different birds, so it’s conceivable that we can get to 400.”
While in northern Ontario, Jackett says they are ever on the lookout for a Great Grey Owl and the American Three-Toed Woodpecker.
A singer-songwriter, music has been helpful in helping Hall communicate their mission to others.
“We did a living room concert in Thunder Bay, which was really cool,” said Hall. “We got to talk to people about what we’re doing. They played a bit of one of my tunes on CBC (radio). There’s sprinklings of it here and there, but my music is definitely not the focus of the ride.”
Hall has put some of her songs on the duo’s website, offering downloads for donations.
Check out Nigell Jackett and Jaime Hall’s website, or donate to their cause at www.tilthelasttree.com.
Link to original article: https://thedrydenobserver.ca/2011/09/7308/
A Saanich-based company has set out to revolutionize non-profit fundraising, and they’ve turned to Facebook to do it.
On Sept. 8, Donate2Play Media launched its first social media game, a collaboration with local protectors of old growth forests, the Ancient Forest Alliance. The anagram game for Facebook, Wordraiser, combines images, facts and a petition related to the organization’s work, while prompting players for small donations to continue playing.
“Over beers we stumbled upon a concept where we use online gaming to generate funds,” said Adrian Pereira, one third of the team behind Donate2Play, along with his wife Kelly Pereira and friend Tomas Ernst. “It hadn’t actually been done before where we take a charity’s brand and make a game around the brand, integrating donating into the actual game.”
Donate2Play intends to continue covering the initial start up costs of developing games as they did for the Ancient Forest Alliance, while splitting revenue with non-profits in what Pereira describes as a no-risk business model.
“Essentially, Donate2Play is about trying to free (Ancient Forest Alliance) up from the headaches of traditional fundraising, so they can go out and do the work that they do really well, which is discovering new old growth forests,” Ernst said.
While the concept was in development, Ernst went on a nature walk with Ken Wu and TJ Watt, founders of the Ancient Forest Alliance.
“This is an non-profit that’s already thinking outside the box,” Ernst said. “They’re already forming alliances with typically untraditional partners for a non-profit.”
While players unscramble words in Wordfinder, they’ll be shown images of some of B.C.’s biggest trees, but if they lose, they’ll be subject to viewing images of some of B.C.’s biggest stumps, photographed by Watt for the tricky and challenging anagrams, he said.
“People have been quite generous so far, but it’s nice any time you can create a new and innovative avenue to bring in funds, especially if it involves entertainment,” Watt added.
Donate2Play hopes to tailor games to organizations globally across the non-profit sector. The company can be found at www.donate2play.com. Visit www.ancientforestalliance.org for more information on the Ancient Forest Alliance.
Link to original article: https://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/saanichnews/news/129632158.html
Determined to remove or at least reduce the cap-in-hand approach to fundraising used by charities and notfor-profit organizations, a new Victoria company is taking the fundraising campaign to social games on Facebook.
Donate2Play Media, founded by Tomas Ernst, Adrian Pereira and Kelly Pereira, has launched a program to help not-for-profit organizations raise money by tapping into the massive online social-gaming scene.
The company launched the first of those games Thursday – Wordraiser on Facebook – customized for the Victoria-based Ancient Forest Alliance.
According to Ernst, Donate2Play is about “empowering organizations like the AFA to spend less time chasing money and more time doing what they do best.”
“It’s a new channel to raise funds. Online social games are a billion-dollar industry,” he said, noting they hope to funnel a small fraction of that to organizations like the AFA. “Our goal is to create fresh, online social games that are fun and exciting to help them grow their revenue stream and activate their membership base.”
The Wordraiser game challenges players to create words from a jumble of letters. Players graduate through levels by finding a word that uses all of the letters provided. The game also offers facts and images to raise awareness of the province’s old-growth forests.
The money is raised when players are prompted to donate at certain levels.
The donations start at $1 and can go up to $20. The money donated is split 50-50 between the organization – in the case of Wordraiser that’s the Ancient Forest Alliance – and Donate2Play.
“We don’t want to cannibalize their other donation avenues, this is about augmenting the traditional fundraising channels,” said Ernst who suggested this kind of donating is a lot like dropping spare change into a box at any retail outlet. “We want to tap into the high volume of online users and tap into micropayments, as not everyone has $1,000 to give.”
“This is a great way to reach a new demographic of people, especially ones who may not be aware of the threat to our old growth,” said TJ Watt, one of the co-founders of the AFA, which works to protect old growth forest in the province. “And there’s a powerful ability to share the game with Facebook friends.”
Neither the AFA nor Donate2Play could estimate what kind of money they expect to raise through the game.
“We hope to scale to multiple charities across many causes, we expect big things out of it,” said Adrian Pereira, who noted it’s not all about money. “This is also about building awareness and increasing the support base for the charity.”
Ken Wu, co-founder of the AFA, said the organization is acting like a bit of a guinea pig.
“We don’t know what this will mean for us, but the beauty of it is we don’t have to pay anything, they put in all the risk,” he said, adding the AFA raised about $60,000 last year through traditional channels and expects to raise as much as $90,000 this year. “And hopefully this helps with that, this is a new revenue stream.”
Donate2Play would not divulge what it paid to create the game, other than saying it was costly.
In a 2009 article, Gamepro.com estimated the cost of developing a Facebook game at anywhere between $30,000 and $300,000 over a six-month cycle.
“But we think it’s worth it when you look at the explosive growth online, when you look at games right now,” said Ernst
Link to Times Colonist article not available anymore.
